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Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, forever highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish effects.

Whether its spitballing humor will linger when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original students will probably be chuckling anew.

Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.